


How to Listen

by Rina_san28



Series: Remade [12]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Dogs, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Literal Puppy Love, Post-Game(s), Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-06-12 08:58:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15336369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rina_san28/pseuds/Rina_san28
Summary: Animals do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.As a self-described broken thing married to another self-described broken thing, Link has a soft spot for all other broken things, especially when they're soft, fluffy, and all-around cute.





	How to Listen

**Author's Note:**

> I think the one thing we can all agree on is that Zelda needs a dog. No, she _deserves_ a dog, just as much as Link deserves to pet dogs. (Are you there, Nintendo? It's me, Rina) 
> 
> Anyway, this is set a little over a year after Ganon was evicted from existence. For those who haven't read the rest of the series, all you need to know is that Link and Zelda are married, they're expecting a baby, and the Champions are back. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Link frowned up at the sky as he rode up to the Bridge of Hylia, taking in the dark clouds and rapidly approaching feathery shadows on the horizon. “I don’t think we’re going to make it back to Zelda today, Boudie,” he told his mount, rubbing the mare’s neck as she nickered nervously at the distant rumble of thunder. “Come on, girl, Highland Stable’s not too far off. We can get there before the rain if we’re quick.” He turned her around and clucked at her, coaxing her into a canter back down into the woods.

 

They made it to the stable right as the first drops of rain began to fall. He handed Boudicca over to the stable hands and ducked inside, tossing a handful of rupees at Padok, heading over to the indicated bed, and letting his bags drop with a sigh. All he’d wanted was to make it home, even if it wasn’t until after nightfall. It was the longest he’d been away from his wife since the day they’d beaten Ganon, and he did not like it one bit.

 

The day before last had started rather nicely. Neither he nor Zelda had any plans or obligations, so they’d slept in until late morning. They’d been enjoying a lovely brunch when they were interrupted by a frantic knocking at the door. Link had opened it to find Sayge talking a mile a minute, and it took Zelda whacking him upside the head to figure out what the problem was. Some of the village children had been playing by the pond behind the dye shop and had begun throwing in rocks, not noticing the cloth soaking nearby until they’d already punched several large holes in it. The cloth had come from a trader in Lurelin Village, and Sayge had offered Link a handsome sum to go fetch him some new bolts. While leaving his pregnant wife certainly wasn’t high on his list of priorities, he and Zelda hadn’t liked seeing their normally cheerful neighbor in such a state and agreed fairly quickly.

 

Link stood in the doorway and watched the lightning flash as the rain intensified. It wasn’t until he could barely see past the fence that he stepped back and returned to his bunk. He dug around for a moment in his satchel before producing his carving knife and the block of wood he was attempting to transform into a toy, then plopped down on the floor by the bottom of the bed to get to work. That work was quickly interrupted, however, when he was knocked clean over by an avalanche of enthusiastic furballs.

 

“Sorry, sorry!” The stablemaster’s mother hurried over and started trying to unearth Link from the fuzzy Calamity that had downed him. “They just get so excited about new people!”

 

Link laughed, delighted. “It’s more than fine,” he said, “puppies are always welcome with me!” He fended off attempted kisses from one particularly brave pup and gently redirected it towards the fully-grown dog hovering behind her mistress. “This is certainly a surprise. I didn’t know you were planning on breeding Pepper.”

 

Perosa rolled her eyes. “We didn’t either,” she said. “She went missing during a storm this spring and showed up two weeks later covered in mud with a belly full of pups. Things just happen, I suppose.”

 

“I can relate to that,” Link said, offering his hand to Pepper to sniff. “My wife and I have a little one due this fall that we definitely weren’t planning on. You two would get along well, eh Peps?” The dog nuzzled at his hand, and he gave her an obliging scratch behind the ears. “Headstrong thing, you are.”

 

“Oh, congratulations!” Perosa cooed. “What do you think it is, boy or girl?”

 

“I think it’s a girl,” he said, “but Zelda says she doesn’t care either way, so she won’t guess.” He jumped, then looked down at his lap. “Hello, who’s this?”

 

“Ah, I think you’ve just met our little snuggler,” Perosa remarked. Link raised an eyebrow in amusement as the puppy burrowed underneath his tunic. “He’s never done that to a stranger before. He must like you.”

 

Link reached down and tugged removed the puppy from his hideout, holding him up to get a good look. “He only has three legs!” he said in surprise, and Perosa smiled tightly.

 

“He does,” she said. “I’m a tad worried about him. Padok thought we should’ve just-” she waved a hand and grimaced, “but I wouldn’t let him. He just has so much spirit!”

 

Link examined the little thing, letting out a little laugh when the pup tilted his head, his long tongue sliding over to hand out the side of his mouth. “Goofy little fella,” he murmured, and the puppy let out a small yip of apparent agreement as the wagging of his tiny tail intensified. “Pretty, too.”

 

“He looks just like his grandsire,” Perosa said fondly. “Duke was one of the best dogs I’ve ever kept.”

 

“Really?” Link set the puppy down and watched him rush over to his siblings, his missing leg not hampering him one bit. He bit his lip, turning an idea over in his head. “How do they do with kids?” he asked finally, and the old lady _beamed_.

 

\-----

 

Link strolled from his small stable to his house, humming cheerfully. He carefully juggled the small crate in his arms as he reached the front door. If there was anything that really shouldn’t be dropped, the contents of the crate were fairly high on the list. Sighing in relief at the conquering of such a difficult task, he walked in and set the crate on the floor.

 

“Zelda?” he called. No response. He nodded to himself in satisfaction, opened the crate lid, and grinned down into it. “Coast is clear, buddy. You can get all settled in before Mum gets home.” He reached down and pulled out the wiggly ball of fluff, giving it a quick cuddle before setting it on the floor. “Go on, look around!”

 

The puppy immediately began exploring his new surroundings, giving everything in sight a thorough sniffing. Link leaned against the counter and watched him go, smiling in satisfaction. Travelling with the puppy had been much easier than expected, as the movement of the horse had managed to lull him to sleep. Still, it had taken an extra half day to make it back to Hateno Village, though to his great relief he’d arrived with a day to spare before Zelda’s birthday. While two of her recent birthdays – well, technically one hundred and two, but who was really counting – had been spent with Calamity Ganon as company and her nineteenth had been spent running from village to village checking in on newly-revived Champions, her twentieth birthday was being thoroughly celebrated by all of their friends, though the former princess didn’t yet know it. With luck, they would all arrive by morning, although the storms could have delayed them.

 

Link’s attention was drawn back by the puppy jumping up against his boot, begging for more cuddles. He instantly complied, unable to resist the big blue eyes. There would be time for training later, he told himself. Surely cuddles were more important.

 

“Your mummy is going to be so excited to see you,” he said, scratching the little furball under the chin. “She’s been begging for a dog since I brought her home. You’re the best birthday present ever.” He glanced out the window at the sinking sun and set the puppy back on the floor. “Hang tight, little guy. I’ll be back in a bit.” With that, he went back outside and headed up to Purah’s lab.

 

\-----

 

Symin was sitting outside fiddling with a Skywatcher carcass when Link arrived. The Sheikah sent him a friendly nod. “Those two have been science-ing all day,” he called, and Link laughed.

 

“If they did anything else, I would be concerned!” he joked. He paused briefly, one hand on the door. “They aren’t playing with potentially explosive objects, are they?”

 

“No, you should be good,” Symin said. “You know, this time.” He waved Link’s glare away, snickering to himself as he returned to his work.

 

Link slipped inside, smiling fondly as he took in the sight of Zelda and Purah debating across the lab table. Purah was waving some odd combination of gears and lights in the former princess’s face, apparently pleased with herself as Zelda tried to get her to hold it still enough to document. At the sound of the door shutting, both women turned to look at him.

 

“Sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if my lovely wife would like some dinner,” he said, hurrying over to Zelda’s side as she began pushing herself up from her seat.

 

She signed a quick _thank you_ once she was fully up. “I would very much like dinner, if my wonderful husband was offering to make it,” she said. She sent a smile over her shoulder at the tiny Sheikah scientist. “We’ll continue next time?”

 

“Of course, of course!” Purah chirped. “Off you get! Oh, and if I don’t see you tomorrow, happy birthday!” Zelda offered a small wave, then followed Link out of the lab. The last sight he caught before the door closed was Purah’s conspiratorial wink.

 

“What were you two scheming in there?” Link asked as they strolled down the hill arm-in-arm.

 

Zelda giggled. “Oh, goodness, Purah had this crazy idea the day you left. She had some spare guardian parts sitting aside from the larger hauls she got last fall, but the other day she received a package with a dozen or so cores, most of which were still working.”

 

“Is she trying to make a friend?”

 

“She wanted to try and make a cat!” Zelda cackled. “It doesn’t look much like a cat, but it certainly acts like one. It took us most of the past few days to get it functional.”

 

“At least she doesn’t have to feed it,” Link said. “A real cat would probably starve there if it weren’t for Symin.”

 

“Oh hush, she’s not that bad,” Zelda said, then paused. “Alright, maybe she is.”

 

“I’m sorry it took so long to get back,” he said, pressing a kiss to her temple. “I tried, but a thunderstorm rolled in and you know how Boudicca gets about those.”

 

“I would much rather you be safe than soggy.” Zelda reached over and turned his face so she could kiss him properly. “I missed you.”

 

“I missed you, too,” he said. “You and the wee one. How’s she doing?”

 

“The baby is doing fine,” she said, “kicking constantly. You’d almost think the father was some kind of warrior.”

 

Link rolled his eyes and settled his free hand on her belly. “Either that or the mother was stubborn as a mule.”

 

“Maybe a bit of both,” Zelda said. She pushed his hand down a bit. “Her feet are right here. His feet. The feet.”

 

“You said her!” His celebrations were cut short when a powerful kick nearly knocked his hand back. “Gods above!”

 

“Try sleeping like that.” She ran a hand down her belly with a sigh. “I think baby missed you, too.”

 

“Well, I’m back now, Zel,” Link said, “and just in time for your birthday!”

 

“You better have gotten me something nice to make up for these past four days,” she teased.

 

Link grinned as they reached the base of the hill. “I think you’ll enjoy it.”

 

\-----

 

They stayed in a comfortable silence as they walked through the village, skillfully dodging the children playing in the road and greeting neighbors without stopping to chat. Link’s excitement grew as their home came into view, apparently enough that his wife noticed.

 

“If you had a tail, it would be wagging,” Zelda said, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. “What are you planning?”

 

“So I may have gotten you an extra present,” Link said, bringing her to a halt before she could open the door. “No, don’t argue! I’m your husband, let me treat you.”

 

Her face softened slightly. “I suppose I can allow that.” She gestured to the door. “May I enter?”

 

Link made a showy bow. “Of course, my lady!” With dramatic flair definitely not borrowed from a certain Rito, he swept open the door.

 

Almost as if planned, the puppy bolted outside and right up to Zelda, yipping and hopping around her legs. She gasped in delight. “Really?”

 

“Like I’d bring a dog all the way from Faron just to tease you,” he scoffed. He scooped up the puppy and held him for Zelda to see. “He loves cuddles, food, and apparently you, which means he’s my newest best friend. Naming him is your job.”

 

“Link!” Zelda sniffed, petting the pup as he licked the tears off her face. “I always wanted a dog! Link!”

 

“You can’t name him Link, things would get very confusing very quickly.”

 

She gave him a light tap on the head. “Jokes later, puppy now!” With barely restrained excitement, she lifted the puppy out of his arms and cuddled him against her chest. “You are the cutest thing! Yes you are!”

 

“Are you going to name him or are we just calling him ‘puppy’ forever?” Link asked, gently ushering her inside the house.

 

“All dogs are puppies, dear, age doesn’t matter.” Zelda held the puppy out in front of her, giving him a thorough look-over. “Oh!” she exclaimed with a small gasp. “He has three legs!”

 

Link shrugged, shifting slightly from foot to foot. “Our whole family is a little bit broken. I thought he’d fit in nicely.”

 

Zelda bent over, with some difficulty, and set the pup on the floor before capturing her husband in an embrace. “I think he’s perfect,” she whispered into his neck. “Thank you.” She stepped to the side to rest her head on his shoulder, one arm still around him, and together they watched their newest family member explore. “He’s going to be a big one,” she said after a moment. “He’ll need a big name to match.”

 

“We’re not naming him after anything over two thousand pounds,” Link deadpanned. “No need to encourage him.”

 

“…Moose.”

 

“What – no!”

 

“Male moose range in weight from eight hundred to fifteen hundred pounds,” she recited cheerfully. “And I think they’re cute, so ta-da! Moose. You like that, Moose?” The puppy – Moose – yipped in apparent agreement. “Aw, you do!”

 

Link groaned, though it sounded weak due to his suppressed laughter. “Okay, sweetheart, you win. Moose it is.”

 

Zelda sent him a glowing smile, and he basked in its warmth.

 

Even as the puppy peed on the floor.

 

_“Moose, no!”_

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: When my mom was pregnant with my little sister, there was one morning when she was about eight months pregnant (about where Zelda is in this story) and I was laying on her bed with her with my head on her belly, chatting away to the baby, when all of a sudden that little stinker delivered a kick so hard I had a bruise on my cheek for three days. She's sixteen now and still stronger than me. Sigh. 
> 
> I'm rina-san28 on Tumblr! Come say hello!


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